1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toilet seat and lid opening and closing mechanism. More particularly, it relates to a combined toilet flushing activator and a toilet seat and lid lifting and resetting mechanism operable by a set of foot pedals positioned proximal to the base of the toilet. In effect, it is a hands-free, foot actuated, self-opening/closing toilet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that toilets harbor bacteria and other microorganisms that can be harmful to human beings. These harmful agents can be transferred from the toilet to a person when a portion (i.e, the seat, lid or flush handle) of the toilet is touched by human hands.
Not all toilets have to be touched each time they are used. Men are able to use most urinals with motion sensor flushing which permits the man to avoid touching any part of the urinal. Men may have to touch the toilet when sitting down depending on the position of the seat at that time. On the other hand, women almost always have to touch the toilet each time they use one. Furthermore, most women prefer to close the lid of a toilet right after or right before flushing. Therefore, they are at a heightened risk of coming in contact with bacteria due to the increase of contact with the toilet structure as a whole. Also, women use the toilet with the seat down during every use (urination or defecation) and often have to lower the seat thereby coming in contact with any bacteria present on the toilet. Further, in many households, men simply do not place the seat back down after urinating. And, if they do not lift the seat up to urinate, they usually splash urine on the seat.
The result of a person using a toilet presents the possibility that harmful bacteria could be left thereupon by the previous user or users (this is amplified in public restrooms where a single toilet may be used multiple times before being cleaned with anti-bacteria cleaners). Some harmful bacteria are able to live a long life after they depart the infected host. For example, survival and environmental spread of many harmful bacteria agents, such as Salmonella, continues to exist even after a family member is no longer exhibiting symptoms of salmonellosis. Salmonella bacteria can persist in the biofilm material found underneath the recess of the toilet bowl. Other unwanted bacteria and sicknesses that are commonly found in toilets include streptococcus, staphylococci, E. Coli, shigellosis bacteria and hepatitis A.
Surprisingly, studies have shown that other areas of the bathroom can be infected on a worst scale than the toilet itself if these other areas are not immediately cleaned and maintained. This is a result of the so-called “aerosol effect” which spews small droplets of water from the toilet bowl into the air when the toilet is flushed prior to the lid being closed or where someone fails to close the lid after use. The bacteria ridden droplets deposit on items within the bathroom and the person/persons still present within the bathroom or those persons just entering. Flushing can cause the generation of a bacteria laden aerosol that could be inhaled. The aerosol effect can be greatly reduced if the lid is shut prior to flushing. Manually operated toilet seats and lids usually lead to undesirable results in that a majority of the time the person using the toilet forgets to shut the lid before flushing the waste, thereby initiating the undesired aerosol effect. To avoid this harmful effect and to further avoid, or at least minimize, touching the toilet, automatic flushing systems which lower and lift the lid where introduced. Such devices can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,150,446, 4,426,743, 4,470,161, 5,323,496, 5,659,902, and 6,233,751 to name just a few. Some of these inventions also included mechanisms to lower and lift the seat. Most use complicated and cumbersome cabling and lift levers that are either retrofitted to an existing standard toilet or integrally made a part of an entire toilet system. Although these devices can lift the seats and lids of a toilet, they have proven to be ineffective due to their complicated nature. Improvements are clearly needed in toilet systems which include integral seat and lid lifting and lowering elements which are capable of being installed (retrofitted) to an existing standard toilet. The lifting and lowering elements should be non-intrusive, permit multiple conditions/configurations of lifting and lowering and be cost effective for consumers.